Removing old grease from garage door opener?

My brother bought a garage door opener lubrication kit. In the instructions it says to remove the old grease but it does not say how to remove it. What is the best way of removing old grease from our garage door opener? We have some engine degreasing aerosol cans. Would they be a good way to go? Thank you in advance for all replies.

Reply to
Daniel Prince
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I doubt if it means to clean the old grease, I would think using some paper towels would do the job nicely.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

I'd wipe it down with kerosene

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I'd use paper towels. Kerosene is a decent solvent, fairly non-toxic, plus helps prevent rust. Dispose of the paper towels or rags wisely.

Reply to
Phisherman

At Home Depot last year, in the cleaning department, I found something called Just A Rag or a name close enough to that to make it easy to spot. Made by Scott, big yellow box. They're VERY tough paper towels which are much less likely to shred than the normal ones. Very handy.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Paper towels or rags to wipe up 80% of the old grease should work fine. Being compulsive, I'd follow that up with paper towels or rags soaked in some solvent to remove about half of what the first pass didn't get. The extra effort isn't that excessive considering the fact that you are only doing this every 10 years or so.

Use something safe and inexpensive as the solvent. Kerosene (fuel oil) would seem like a very good choice. Brake cleaner works extremely well, but it is both expensive and the fumes are very unhealthy.

Reply to
Gideon

Low VOC mineral spirits is pretty good stuff but, like anything with petroleum in it, not as cheap as it used to be. Diesel and fuel oil will work but it is nasty smelling and messy. I keep a spray bottle with mineral spirits and motor oil (50/50) around for cleaning and preservting tools.

Reply to
gfretwell

Around here, kerosene isn't what is commonly meant by fuel oil.

Reply to
mm

I always thought that number 1 fuel oil and kerosene where pretty much the same entity.

For the purposes of cleaning, I also assume that kerosene, number

1 fuel oil, number 2 fuel oil, Stoddard solvent and similar items are all equally reasonable choices. All you want/need is low cost, low volatility and good solvent properties.

Ok, I'll confess that I sometimes use ether, gasoline and other nasties for cleaning. Just don't tell the insurance company.

Gideon

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Around here, kerosene isn't what is commonly meant by fuel oil.

Reply to
Gideon

Daniel Prince wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Get what you can off with rags. Carburetor cleaner is awesome. It stinks big time. Keep the doors open and no open flames or smoking around it!

Reply to
Al Bundy

replying to Al Bundy, woodman wrote: All that stuff works add to it an old blanket or towel draped over rail then air compressor with a long pin point nozzel works great. Then use a better lube that doesn't clog like grease does.

Reply to
woodman

Great news ... but "Al Bundy" passed away almost *ELEVEN YEARS AGO* while waiting for your sage advice.

(Why can't you Home Moaners Hub people read DATES?)

Reply to
Sam Hill

And aside from that, it sounds like a frigging mess. If a garage door opener is working, I'd leave it alone. If it needs some lube, I'd apply it without cleaning out the old lube.

Reply to
trader_4

I can only imagine that they can't see them. No one ever cites them.

The old lube will get the new lube dirty.

Reply to
micky

Who the hell cares? I've had garage doors for decades in several homes. Never had to remove lube from any of them.

Reply to
trader_4

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